> Dead Set on Living > by Radioactive Ultra Donkey > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > End of a Journey.. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Have a good time, ma'am,” said Alex, trying his best to make it sound like he hadn't said that very sentence a hundred times before that night. He smiled politely as he gave the lady her all-access card back, receiving a generous smile in return. Hearing the entrance click shut behind him, he allowed escape to a curt sigh and watched the cloud of vapour dissolve in the crisp autumn air. He gently moved away the cuff of his mandatory dress shirt to glance at his watch. It was just past four, meaning the entrance was to be closed down. Part two of his job just began; making sure people could get home in one piece. With his mood brightened, he couldn’t help but tap his foot to the rhythm of the overplayed club music. “It's bloody past four in the night! Is now really the time to call me about that?” Alex turned his head towards the exit, out of which walked a familiar face. “Okay okay, fine.” It was Eddy, a rather close friend of Alex since late high school. He held a phone in the hand next to his ear and two steaming cups of coffee in the other. “No, it only does it when I switch from second to third,” Eddy spoke into the phone. “Hold on.” He then reached out, allowing his friend to take one of the cups. “No… Yes, of course it’s a manual, what am I, daft? No… Yes, he’s here, what are you talking a-” Eddy stopped mid-sentence. After a couple of confused glances at his phone he blurted out; “Bleeding hell! The toss hung up on me!” Alex witnessed the event rather confusedly. “Who?” Eddy tisked and put his phone away. “That Bexley guy, ah, the mechanic,” he answered, leaning against a wall. Alex took a sip from his coffee, peering over the rim to give his friend a sceptical look. “I know,” Eddy sighed. “I mean, I don’t. He called me and started asking about what he had to look at on the truck.” Alex chuckled. “There’s something wrong with that guy, I’m telling you,” he said. Eddy shrugged and rolled his eyes. “Anyway, where is he?” “I don’t know,” Eddy chided. “He’s on his way here, apparently. He asked if Lachlan's here and said he was on his way.” Alex groaned. “Please, no… Last week he was so off his trolley he threw up everywhere inside. Didn’t miss a single spot, really,” he recalled. Eddy bursted into a barking laugh. “No, I’m serious, Eddy! Besides, entrance’s closed, no one gets in from now on.” “Heh,” Eddy sniffed, stroking his bearded chin. “Didn’t you wallop him to the face afterwards?” Alex folded his hands together. “I did, he called me longshanks.” Eddy didn’t answer, opting to shake his head amusedly. Some time passed. The relative inactivity around the exit was made quite bearable with the help of a hot cup of coffee and the company of a good friend. Alex caught Eddy yawning. “Tired?” Eddy nodded exaggeratedly. “Tired? Yes, I’m tired! Guess where I slept last night?” he asked, prompting Alex to look at him inquisitively. “That’s right! On the couch! I woke up this morning and had Action Man stuck in my arse!” Alex chuckled at Eddy’s antics and looked down at the man's left hand, and at the golden ring proudly fixed on the fourth finger. Obviously, Eddy was happily married for a few years now to a woman he loved dearly. He lived in a nice, sizable home with two young rascals to look after. Alex respected that, and perhaps even envied it. “Debra’s birthday,” Eddy started as if remembering just then. “Tomorrow, right?” “Today,” Alex corrected, his face lighting up. “I called her yesterday, she still has no idea.” “Good.” Eddy nodded, tinkering with his phone. “Um, would you mind if I bring the youngest with me? Carol's working and-” “Of course,” Alex interrupted. “Debra would love that.” “Hey, thanks, I-" Eddy interrupted himself, looking past Alex. "Shag me twice on wednesday...” Following his gaze, Alex saw a familiar car park a distance further, soon after revealing its occupant; the Bexley mechanic. “Oi!” the man shouted, waving a hand as soon as he spotted the doormen. Alex could tell the guy had seen one over the eight, as shown by the beeline he followed to approach them. “What are you doing here, Alfie?” Eddy hissed. Alfie the Bexley guy gave him an odd look. “What? I have some business with Lachlan, so maybe… let me in? Okay?” “You’re a tad late,” Alex answered, prompting the much shorter man to turn towards him. “Entrance’s closed long ago, you’re not getting in,” he continued, pointing a finger at the nuisance. “Especially not since what happened last week.” Alfie’s eyes squinted, and Alex’s fingers itched badly. Eddy literally stepped in between them. “Let’s just stay calm, a’ight? Now, just tell us what you’re doing here.” Alfie sighed. “I told you, I have to speak to Lachlan about… you know what.” Alex frowned. “I don’t.” “I do,” Eddy half-sighed. “You’ll have to wait until we close down, one hour and-a-half from now.” Alfie groaned, looking around him in frustration. “No, I-” he fell silent, looking off into the distance. Alex followed his gaze and saw a white van park a moderate distance away, nothing suspicious. “You’re right, I’ll wait in the car.” Both Eddy and Alex looked surprised as Alfie simply turned around and left, making his way to his car. “What was that?” Eddy asked. Gesturing towards the van, whose headlights were long since off, Alex tried to piece everything together. “He saw that van park up there, I’m not sure...” Eddy nodded. “Yeah, he shat himself, what’s he gotten himself into now?” Time passed, and the occurence had slipped from Alex’s mind some time earlier. Nearing six o'clock, most of the partygoers had gone home, with the remaining few standing outside smoking or waiting for a cab to arrive. Eddy and Alex had gone inside to get their pay and weren’t all that surprised to see the place was a dump; The dance floor was stained with all kinds of spilled liquors, and cigarette filters were scattered around the lounge area, ashtrays overflowing with the things. “This is what happens when someone calls off, not enough staff to keep up with the animals,” said Eddy. Alex pursed his lips, looking at the mess. “It's been worse, though. Remember New Year's Eve?” Eddy shuddered. “Just... Don't remind me...” As the clock passed six, everyone called it a night and went on their way home. “I’ll call you when I wake up, a’ight?” asked Eddy as he unlocked his car. Alex waved at his friend and started walking. As usually he had to park quite a distance away. He grumbled something about staff-only parking spots until he caught eyes on a familiar vehicle still parked on the same spot. Walking past, Alex couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary, only adding to the mild confusion. He shook his head, and mentally rolled his eyes. Alfie was a grown man, capable of making his own decisions. If he was in trouble, it shouldn’t be any of Alex’s concern. Just behind him, the van's back doors swung open. Immediately pulled back to full attention, Alex turned around and saw three men jump out of the vehicle. "Seriously," he managed to stammer, before hell broke loose. "Get him!" Alex swung blindly into the mass. Left. Right. Each time his fist collided with something, but it didn't do anything to stop them. As if done a hundred times already, they almost expertly seized him. With one on each side and another holding his legs, they grappled and lifted him up. Alex kicked and writhed, shouting vulgarities the entire way, and was eventually tossed into the back of the vehicle. “Bloody fucking idiots! Go and wake up the other half of London, will you?!” Alex laid on his back with hands and feet bound, a greasy rag stuffed into his mouth. He watched the smallest of the group throw a tantrum. “The guy’s a fuckin’ tree! We kept it nice 'n' short. He almost knocked my teeth out!” a gruffer voice retorted with a certain accent. “Can it, yankee twat! Where’s his wallet?” Alex groaned trying to pull his hands loose. They were bound with one of the attacker's shirt. Amateurs, there was no way it would hold. Trying to be the least obvious, he felt it starting to come loose, just a little longer... He froze as he heard a familiar click; that of a bullet being chambered. "Would you please stop that?" the third man asked.“Help him upright." One of the others obliged and sat Alex up, with his back against the side. The man with the pistol kneeled down in front of him. Alex could smell a strong scent of cologne. “Do you know why this happened to you?” the man asked, holding the weapon loosely. Alex coiled up his body, and before the man could do something he was kicked with both feet, hit square in the face. The blow threw him back to hit the other side of the van, losing hold of the weapon somewhere along the way. The other two scrambled, and kept Alex in place while the third found his bearings. He soon got up and loomed over Alex, having to bend over slightly under the low roof. He kicked Alex in the stomach. "Mother!" Another kick. "Fucker!" Alex coughed into the rag, having kicked all air out of him. "Hmmpf! Mmm-" A punch to the face silenced his muffled response. The man ran a hand through his slicked back hair and sighed. "Heh, let him speak." He made a faint hand gesture and the gag was removed. A strained chuckle escaped Alex’s throat. “Hah hah hah... I’m a cop… you fuck-up... I’ll have you- Ah!” Another punch to the face shut him up. Biting his lip in anger, Alex looked back up at the man in front of him, making sure to take every detail to memory. His olive skin, smooth face, black hairs, the beginnings of a tattoo peeking just from under his expensive-looking shirt... “Oh, I know that,” the man spoke sternly. “I know all about you, you know.” "That so? Then why am I here?" Alex fumed. "Because, you're more than just a cop," the man answered. "You're Lachlan's attack dog, aren't you?" "I'm a doorman in one of his clubs," Alex explained, not at all liking where this was going. "That's hardly the type of guy you're looking for." "No, you're exactly the one we're looking for." The man pressed a finger on Alex's forehead. "You turn a blind eye to Lachlan’s business, and hear this, he wants you gone now," he finished with a sneer before turning back around. "There," he tossed a wallet on Alex’s lap. "You won't need it but it's yours." Another guy put the walled in Alex's pocket. "We’re almost there!" the driver shouted. Alex knew it was over. He stayed put, not saying another word, nor looking at anyone anymore. He contemplated why Lachlan turned on him, who these men were and in what manner they'd finish the job. "We're making an example out of you," the lead guy said. "You'll see." The vehicle stopped, and the man opened the back doors. On his signal Alex was dragged towards the back, allowing him to see what they meant. They had pulled over at the local police station. Alex could see light coming through the windows, but knew no one inside could help him. He sat down on the edge of the vehicle and gave the familiar building one last hopeful look, desperately expecting some kind of miracle, until he felt something cold being pressed against the back of his head. > ...And the Start of a New One > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The warmth of a crackling fireplace, the comfort of a sturdy old couch, and the memories only her favourite tea could bring. The mare could be at no other place than home, not one of her usual haunts. At least it hadn't been for the past half year. Ambassador Windy Leaves was enjoying the very last moments of her short, well-earned vacation. Or at least she considered it well-earned, since being sent to a tiny, overpopulated island halfway across the Eastern Sea did ask more of her than she ever bargained for. Sighing contently, she glanced outside and saw the Sun still hadn't breached the horizon. Princess Celestia seemed to have delayed her duty by yet another minute. Very unusual, but welcome nonetheless. The mare just smiled, enjoying not being responsible for once in awhile. She thanked the princess for her consideration, as it gave her some extra time to gently finish her cup. Leaving the warm comfort of her couch, Windy made her way to the kitchen and started making work of cleaning her cup. She liked everything tidy like that. She took a look through the window in front of her. It being dark outside made it that she could see her own reflection above anything else. Windy tisked, noting that she looked rather tired, unbefitting of an Equestrian Ambassador. A faint, orange glow started filling the abandoned street, drawing the mare’s attention. The glow brightened, and as Windy Leaves craned her neck to take a better look, a deep set of knocks sounded on her front door. The mare jolted back and frowned. She couldn't recall having any business with anypony, certainly not at this hour, and they were carrying torches, something a regular visitor wouldn’t be doing. The whole situation had her on edge. Not two weeks before, she had laid eyes on some disturbing reports. Those of enigmatic ponies in white armour. Another pair of knocks, this time harder. Windy approached the door, orange torchlight eerily shining through the little matted windows. She pulled a straight face. Hay, she was a Canterlot official! She hadn't done anything wrong so surely, whatever it was on the other side of the door, it couldn't possibly be what she feared. She inhaled deeply as if about to jump in water, and her hoof twisted the handle. The door creaked open, revealing three armoured ponies. Windy released her breath. The armours were golden, not brilliant white. Before she had a chance to, the midmost stallion spoke up with a gentle voice. “Ambassador Leaves?” Windy nodded, “Yes.” The guard seemed relieved, though continued rather hastily. “My name is Jet. We're with the Royal Guard. You'll have to come with us at once, there isn't much time.” Windy frowned at the guard and looked him over, searching for anything that would signify any rank. She found nothing, and concluded he was but a lowly Royal Guard soldier. She responded accordingly. “Not before I know-” “That's the thing, Miss,” Jet interrupted. “We're taking you to Ponyville Pond. Don't know for what exactly. You should bring all of your gear. And I was told to empathise all,” the last word sounded more as a question than anything else. Windy's eyes widened, only just starting to tie ends together. “Truly?” she half-asked. Jet simply nodded. “Right, one second,” she managed to answer before running back inside. She bolted upstairs and quickly made her way into a little storeroom stuffed with her more unusual gear. Strap after strap, she took way more than the requested one second, but after looking herself over in the mirror, she deemed herself ready to go. On the way back her new ensemble jingled with every step. She could definitely feel the added weight on her frame, but being an earth pony, she could take it. It took some time for it to sink in, however; she was wearing armour. The soldier named Jet looked her over as she neared them, and Windy saw him crack the smallest of smiles. “Alright, now just follow us, Miss,” he ordered. Windy Leaves obliged, following the guards into the silent Canterlot streets. Her eyes took in the sight of Canterlot Palace, rising well above the surrounding buildings, sitting on that mountain slope way to quietly. Jet followed her gaze. “The palace is completely locked down,” he spoke. “Princess Celestia has assembled the Wall, so we know this isn't just an expensive drill.” Windy nodded in understanding, though felt a twinge of fear hearing Jet mention the Wall of Light. She knew next to nothing about the ponies clad in white armour, though having read a few reports, she felt more than safe to assume they were a far cry from your average guards. The mare continued following the group until eventually arriving at an empty marketplace. Five golden flying chariots stood there, complete with pegasi strapped on and ready to go. Three other ponies, armoured as she was, were each standing on a chariot, accompanied by a guard. Windy realised that these were ponies just like her, being taken by the guards for whatever purpose. “You're taking the left one,” Jet spoke. “Wisp will join you,” he continued, gesturing to the guard next to him, who nodded eagerly. “The rest of us will escort you in.” Windy nodded as well and looked at the small crowd watching from a distance, undoubtedly wondering what was going on. She could sympathise; they probably knew just as much as she did. Several minutes later, high up into the still-dark sky, the five chariots had begun flying in a wedge formation. Being in the middle one gave Windy Leaves the opportunity to take a good look at the other three ponies. Two males, one female, all of them unicorns. She didn’t recognise the stallions from anywhere, and even though she had seen the mare in Canterlot Palace on a few occasions, she didn’t know her by name. The sultry red unicorn noticed Windy looking over at her. “My name is Saffron,” she spoke calmly, but confidently. “Windy Leaves,” the earth pony responded in kind, visibly nervous. Saffron smiled kindly at that. It was the prettiest thing Windy had seen that day. “Windy Leaves, do you have any idea why this is happening to us?” Windy shook her head. “No,” she answered, eliciting a nod from the other mare. Her training kicked in and she systematically started asking questions. “Think,” she started, seizing the unicorn’s attention. “What do we have in common?” “What do you do for a living?” Saffron asked. “Ambassador,” Windy answered, followed by her subrole. “Judge of Intent. You?” “Ambassador,” the red mare smiled wryly. “Courtier.” “Ah,” Windy uttered, only slightly surprised, taking the mare’s looks. Undoubtedly there was some dangerously sharp wit in that pretty head of hers. Taking the current situation, Windy suspected the other mare to be lying, as Canterlot Courtiers mostly doubled as spies, but of course the unicorn wouldn’t tell her that. “I’m a biologist,” the white stallion on the leftmost chariot chimed in. From the other side, the pale yellow stallion joined the discussion. “I’m a linguist,” he added. “So we are scientists and politicians,” Windy concluded. “Gather them and fly them somewhere, where to would that be?” “I’ve participated in government mobilisations before,” The biologist said, “preparations for certain scenario’s-” “Is that what this is?” Windy Leaves asked. The stallion shook his head. “No, whatever this is, it’s not a game.” Windy bit her lip nervously, and took a look around. They hadn’t even left Canterlot yet. This was going to be a long flight. The remainder on the trip was done in total silence. Nopony spoke a word, not even the guards themselves did. Windy could smell the fear and feel the tension, which both only grew stronger as they neared their destination. Just above the horizon, Celestia’s Sun had finally started its ascend. Below them, she could see the quaint little village named Ponyville, and noted that they had started to descend. “Over there!” Saffron exclaimed, pointing a hoof. Windy followed her direction, and saw it as well. It looked as if the whole village had gathered near the lake, complete with little stalls seeking to profit from the little excursion. Windy feared the crowd would make this situation, whatever it was, not all that easier. The three chariots circumvented the whole site, looking for a place to land. Windy could make out the golden sheens of armour near the middle of it and could feel the situation was bad. If things got out of hoof, the great mob of ponies could become an even bigger problem. “Just land!” she heard Jet exclaim, “They’ll make room for us.” And like that the chariots began landing. Below, she could hear the startled shouts of ponies and the bellows of guards as the mob was forced to part beneath them. Windy pressed her lips together, not approving of how the guards were handling this, though understood the necessity. The landing was rough and clumsy, a testament of their haste, and Windy was glad that they were on solid ground. As was the case with most earth ponies, she never liked flying. “What took you so long, Jet?” a voice asked. Windy looked and noted that they were already surrounded by guards. The lead one walking up to the chariot to her left. The older guard didn’t wait for Jet to answer, and turned to the mare in the back. “Apologies, though you must understand the dire haste of this situation, Ambassador Saffron,” his stiff expression softened as he looked at her. “But it’s quite alright,” Saffron answered with a flashing smile, and the guard seemed to melt on the spot. The red mare said something else, though Windy didn’t hear it. She snorted and turned to step out of the chariot, where another guard greeted her. “Good morning, Ambassador,” the guard spoke. Much to the mare’s agitation, he didn’t call her name, most likely because he didn’t know who she was. “It’s Ambassador Windy Leaves,” she corrected calmly, yet sternly. “What is going on here?” she continued. The guard pressed his lips together. “A new contact, most likely. But I really can’t say for certain.” The mare recoiled as if hit on the nose. Her lips felt dry as a desert all of the sudden, and she licked them nervously. She was excited, and also frightened. She nodded and spoke, “Bring us there.” ****** “Is it really?” Saffron asked to nopony in particular. Windy glanced at her but didn’t answer, being lost in thoughts of her own. The group of four was being escorted by as many guards, apart from Jet. “Move, everypony, let us through!” Jet bellowed, successfully creating a path through the otherwise impenetrable mass of ponies. Windy craned her neck in all kinds of directions, trying to see ahead, though all she could see were the nervous or otherwise impressed looks of ponies. Eventually though, they seemed to had gone all the way through, as at last the mass parted to reveal a sizable open space. Her eyes immediately fell on the purple regal armour, with golden trimmings shining violently in the morning sun. She knew this one by name. “Shining Armor,” she spoke softly. The large stallion spotted the group from a distance and walked up to them. Windy could tell by his stride that he was nervous. “Celestia’s blessing,” the captain greeted with a nod. The surrounding guards made the sign of the Sun on their breastplate with their right hoof. Windy nodded and was about to speak until Saffron stepped forward and made the sign on the breastplate of her own. “Celestia’s blessing,” she repeated, her voice beautiful as it always were, though it sounded stern, and she didn’t smile. “What is going on here, Captain Armor?” Windy looked at her, and was reminded of the dangerously sharp wit. She nodded in respect, albeit nigh invisibly. Captain Shining Armor stared at the red mare for a second too long, before snapping out of it. “We found something, a creature. It may be a new contact,” he spoke plainly and clearly. “How can you tell?” the yellow stallion asked. Windy almost forgot about the linguist. “Good question,” she commended. Shining Armor nodded, “Come. See for yourself.” He then turned started walking. The group stuck closely to him as he lead the way. “We’ve been here for hours, it’s been unconscious the entire time,” he explained before turning. “Be careful, we don’t know what this is or what it can do. We will stand back and be vigilant.” The four ponies nodded. “You will listen to any order I give you, it is for your own safety.” Having said his say, Shining stepped aside, taking his guards with him. Windy’s eyes widened at the sight. She could hear Saffron gasp and the stallions murmur nervously. She wasn’t quite sure what lay there, the shape was strange to her. It was large, whatever it was, and lay on its side. It also wore clothes, she saw. She pushed herself to approach it, and the other three followed her closely. “Sweet Celestia,” she whispered as she noticed its head was drenched in dried blood. She looked over at Shining Armor, and beckoned him with a slight movement of the head. “There isn’t any blood on the ground?” Windy half-asked. “Did you move it?” Shining Armor shook his head. “No, of course not. We found it in this state and position.” Windy nodded at that and continued her examination. Saffron spoke up softly. “What is it? I’ve seen the entire world, but nothing even closely resembling this.” “It’s male,” the biologist answered, gaining everypony’s undivided attention. “Look at its head,” he directed, “Sharp jawline, squary chin. Just the overall look, actually, its face looks kind of rough.” “Did he get a kill, then?” the linguist asked. “I mean, it could have eaten and made its way here afterwards.” The biologist shook his head. “No, there’s no animal that get blood all over itself like it’s the case here.” He received a few interested glances from his company. Saffron frowned at that. “So the blood is his own?” she asked with a twinge of uneasiness. The biologist didn’t answer, too occupied with looking at the strange being. “It’s blood is red, it must have haemoglobin,” he finally observed, before taking a pair of gloves from under the plate on his left pastern. He quickly put them on, then scraped some of the dried up mess off the creature’s cheek and looked closely at the substance on his glove, simply humming in wonder. Windy leaves followed suit. Without glove, though, she brought her hoof to the creature’s upper lip, and revealed blood stained teeth. “Careful, ma’am” Shining armor warned from a few meters away. “You see that sharpie over there?” Windy asked to nopony in particular, letting loose of the lip. “Now we know what it eats.” Her comment was answered by nervous muttering. “The blood patterns are all wrong,” Saffron commented. “It looks like he bled, a lot,” she lowered her head to look at the creature’s more clearly. “Yes, it suffered major haemorrhaging from the nose, as well as the mouth and ears.” Windy, as well as the others, looked at the red mare intently, and nodded. The courtier may just have blown her cover somewhat, but as Windy glanced at the others, she realised nopony else really added things up. Saffron grimaced, “Do you hear that?” she asked, though Windy heard nothing. “I do,” the yellow linguist answered. “Stars, what is that?” The biologist started groaning. Windy didn’t hear anything, but could feel it. The air felt icy cold all of the sudden, but Celestia’s Sun shone just as brightly. She felt a strange feeling inside, one of unease, like a presence of some kind. “What is that damned drone?!” the biologist cried out. “I can’t hear myself think, I need to get away from here.” The air around them grew increasingly cold and tense, and even though Windy Leaves didn’t hear anything like the others did, she swore she could feel the air vibrate in her chest. Was this connected to the creature still laying in front of them? Her eyes widened in pure shock. It was moving. Shining Armor saw it happen as well. “Get back, the lot of you!” he bellowed. Windy complied, and started stepping backwards, Saffron and the two stallions followed suit. She saw several guards run up to the by now clearly conscious creature, and witnessed as they neared proximity, how some of them recoiled with a scream as if hitting a solid wall. It dawned to her as a summer Sun. “It’s the unicorns!” she yelled, eyes wide in surprise. “Get back, the lot of you!” Shining armor bellowed. His command was well received, as the four ponies quickly backed away from the unknown creature. It took only one gesture to have his guard running towards the possible threat, ready to respond accordingly. As Shining approached as well, he saw three of his guard recoil in pain, their screams filling the strangely cold air. “It’s the unicorns!” he heard Miss Leaves shout, and she was right. The ones hurting were, indeed, unicorns. The others, earth ponies and a couple pegasi, were startled by the sudden event, but otherwise unharmed. This was something new, unexpected. He thought quickly, trying to figure out what to do. “Wisp, Vale, Falls!” he called the unicorns by name, “keep your distance!” Shining Armor forced himself to near the still prone creature, which seemed to be shivering and shaking where it lay. Suddenly, where the air was at its coldest, Shining felt it also; a piercing pain in the back of his head. It was nigh unbearable, but he bit through the pain and fear. He had a job to do, and had made Paragon Warden a promise. “Keep your guards safe, Shining Armor,” Warden had said. “I’ll want every single one back, unscathed. Now go, I remember you saying you’re ready for this.” By sheer willpower, Shining approached the creature, which was now surrounded by spear-wielding guards. It moaned, and seemed to be in very bad shape. “It requires medical attention, somepony get a doctor!” Shining shouted. Behind him, he heard a vague acknowledgement and somepony ran off. The thing was now looking at him with little green eyes. ***** Alex felt as if he backed over a hundred pints too many. He was barely able to see anything as the world was spinning before his eyes. The voices he heard were muffled and distorted, as if he had wool stuffed in his ears. Cold. He had never felt this cold in his entire life. The sensation was more than torture, but eventually he felt it starting to subside, albeit very slowly. With the cold also the dizziness was starting to decrease. He felt nauseous. He felt like he was going to.. His entire body cramped up as whatever was in his stomach was being expelled. He couldn’t taste it, but as everything did, it felt horrible. He opened his eyes and recoiled in shock as he witnessed a strange black goop. His mind suddenly a lot more clear, he wondered if that’s what came out of him. He rolled back over on the other side, and couldn’t believe his eyes as he looked up. He was genuinely convinced now none of this was real, though the sensation of his stomach cramping up again proved him wrong. He forced the feeling down, and was glad that it went away. Alex couldn’t quite make up what exactly was standing there in front of him. A small, colourful horse like creature, was the last thing he expected to see. Looking past it, Alex saw an entire mass of them. He blinked a few times but the sight remained the same. He suddenly remembered what had happened to him that night, and felt like collapsing again on the spot. Instead, Alex made starts towards sitting right up. “Don’t move, creature,” the thing in front of him spoke. Alex looked at it, and it looked back at him with almost fearful eyes. “Soldier get-up? I’m seeing things for sure,” he thought as he propped himself up. The purple-clad soldier-thing didn’t have it. “Don’t. Move,” it repeated slowly, seemingly uncertain if Alex could even understand him. “Heavy drug, maybe? Hospital? Lucid dream?” were all the thoughts Alex could muster to explain this. He brought a hand to the back of his head, feeling the dried up mess in his short hairs. He was never this confused before. “Do you understand what I’m saying?” the creature asked him. Definitely responding to Alex feeling his head. The man could do nothing but nod. “What are you?” the soldier asked, him. Appearing to be slightly more comfortable. Alex felt the same, the cold had mostly gone away, and he felt the sun warm his back. “What are you?” Alex retorted, finding the creatures question to be absurd. “I’m captain Shining Armor of the Royal guard of Equestria,” it responded with a twinge of pride, then added as if he almost forgot; “Ah, I’m a pony.” Alex looked at the pony, unable to utter a single word anymore. What was going on? Did he go insane? Alex shifted uncomfortably, his whole body aching. “I, uhh..” he stammered, “I am..Alex Mathius,” he said. The pony’s head tilted to the side. “Where do you come from? Hossin? Splitpeak Island?” he asked eagerly. Though there wasn’t much time for an answer, as one of the other soldiers approached and spoke to his captain. “They’re here. We brought help from Ponyville,” he said. Eliciting a nod from the bigger pony. “Good, bring them here. Let’s finish this up.” The pony disappeared back into the crowd for a second and came back with two mares bringing a stretcher. One was white with a pink mane and the other was yellow with a blue one. Both of them had a cross on their sides. As soon as their eyes found Alex, they were hesitant to draw any closer to him. “It is safe to approach now,” the captain explained, drawing Alex’s attention. “The strange effect has subsided.” The two newcomers still didn’t move, though, and in response, a guard took the stretcher off them and laid it down near Alex. “Levitate him onto the stretcher,” the captain ordered, his eyes transfixed onto the man. As he commanded, one of the unicorn’s horn started glowing white, and Alex wondered what was going to happen. His already scrambled mind was unable to understand what was going on anymore. The pony pointed his horn towards Alex, and the cold sensation returned. Alex could feel something in his chest, reminding him of the bass from the club he’d work at. As the pony visibly tried harder, it was as if the air around him started to tremble, and freeze. Then there was a scream, and the unicorn had collapsed to the ground, hind legs kicking uselessly in its throes. Other guards ran up to their unlucky colleague. “He’s out!” one of them said. “What did you do?!” the purple-clad pony bellowed. It’s horn had started glowing as well, and he pointed to towards the man. Alex didn’t answer, instead looking in surprise as it all happened. He had no idea what was going on, let alone what he did, and more importantly; what he should be doing now. Without any further warning, and with a whip-like crack, the captain’s horn erupted with a bright purple light. Something came flying out of the burst, and hit Alex straight in the stomach. Alex cried out, feeling his body convulse and protest against itself. Whatever he was hit with, it hurt him. A lot. It reminded him of being hit with a taser, albeit a tad weaker. After the shock, he laid there, but only for a second. He needed to get away from there! He scrambled onto his feet and rose to his full length. As he did, more guards came running to surround him, spears pointed, leaving him nowhere to go. “Look at the size of that bastard!” one of the surrounding guards cried out. This sent the crowd into a panic. All around, frightened ponies started running away for safety. Only a handful remained. Alex saw the purple-armoured captain’s horn light up again, definitely charging for another go at him. He turned around frantically, though saw no way out. He then turned back towards the captain. “Stop-” But it came too late, another flash erupted from the pony’s horn, and it hit him square in the chest. This one was too much. As if flipping a switch, Alex lost consciousness once more. From a distance, Ambassador Windy Leaves watched it all happen defeatedly. After the creature had fallen, she approached the scene. She walked past the clearly shocked captain, she didn’t even deign looking at him, instead uttering one single word. “Fool.” > Getting Into Something > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alex woke up feeling as if a truck had backed over him. In other words, sore and battered.   ‘Worse than 1995,’ he weakly joked to himself as he recalled a beating he'd gotten back then when he was a big-mouthed lad, leaving him feeling similarly broken. He looked around him and found himself in a room with a chequered floor and a green ceiling and dull blue walls. He was lying on a hospital bed next to a window that allowed light inside. He felt immediately sick to his stomach again as he recalled what had happened. Or, what he thought had happened, anyway. He felt concerned that he was going absolutely mad, as nothing of what he remembered could have possibly happened! His mind raced. Where was he? What happened to him? He froze as the door's lock cracked open. The door opened and one of the golden-armoured "ponies" walked in, ogling him nervously with big blue eyes. Behind the pony another followed. This one was armoured, as well, but did not wear a helmet, revealing a lush brown mane. Her hazel eyes looked upon him sternly, but curiously. She cleared her throat silently before speaking. “How are you feeling?” Seeing the two, indeed very real, ponies once more, Alex's heart sank. All of what he remembered did happen, and he felt his common sense escaping him. His heart rate rose in tandem with his now ragged breathing.  The mare must have noticed his condition as she spoke once more. "You are safe," She said, looking visibly worried. "My name is Windy Leaves, Equestrian Ambassador." She then paused, waiting for a reply that never seemed to come. "I'm wearing armour," she continued, looking down at her chest. "I'm not part of the Royal Guard, though. I'm merely wearing it as per procedure." Alex simply looked at her, too occupied with trying to calm himself down. He tried breathing calmly in order to lower his heart rate. It seemed to work, as he was feeling less tense already. "Can you understand me?" the pony asked. Alex nodded, prompting her to continue. “I'm sorry about what happened. I really am,” she sighed. “These are troubled times. I know that's no excuse, but you'll know everything soon enough. Say the word when you're ready, we can't linger here for too long.”   Alex didn't reply and just looked on. He felt as if someone was standing on top of his chest, and felt nearly too afraid to even move.   "We will go to Canterlot, the capital. Is there anything you need before we depart?" the mare asked. She seemed anxious. As if she was just following orders and didn't like them, Alex assumed. "Water," Alex croaked. His mouth parched and his voice sounding comparably. The pony nodded and left he room, leaving Alex alone with the soldier still standing next to the door, now looking straight ahead into nothingness. Alex threw the sheets off of him and checked his body. The places where the whip-like lightning had struck him were neatly bandaged. He touched the patchwork and noted that it didn't hurt at all. He assumed it was a local anaesthetic. They did a good job. The door opened again as the mysterious white mare reentered the room, Shadowed by another pony pushing a small trolley towards Alex's bed. Ontop of the trolley stood some liter worth of water, with a glass to pour it into. "Don't drink too much at a time," the mare warned. "You were unconscious for a while now, so your body might not like it." She cracked a smile as Alex disregarded her and emptied the large chalice without even using the glass, spilling some water as he poured it into his mouth too eagerly. "Thirsty then," the pony smiled wider. "Should have expected that. There's a bucket on the right side of the bed, should you need it." Alex needed to catch his breath from drinking too eagerly. "What's in Canterlot?" he asked. The pony's ears perked up at that; it was the first coherent sentence she heard him utter. "Where am I?" came the next question. "I don't understand." "Canterlot's Equestria's capital. The princesses are there right now. They will want to see you for themselves," Windy answered. "Right now we're in Ponyville's hospital. Some hours flying from Canterlot." She then answered the last remark; "I will try to help you make sense of.." she waved a hoof around, "All of this. I will, yes." she reassured, nodding mostly to herself. Alex simply blinked at her, not knowing what to say. His gaze then found the small window, and he noted it was getting dark outside. "I'm tired," he lied. The mare nodded. "I understand, we will depart in the morning," she said sternly. With a brief movement of her hoof, the guardspony left the room closing the door behind him, leaving windy Leaves with Alex. The mare stepped closer to the bed. "You must know that I have the best of intentions," she spoke. "I hope you do, as well." Then, without waiting for an answer, she turned around and left the room, closing the door gently behind her. Alex sat there for a moment, staring at the closed door. He then looked at the window, but guessed it was too small for him to fit through. He weighed his options, and concluded that there was no way out but through that door. He was certain the door was being guarded, and felt too unsure to do anything but what was expected of him. So Alex tried to sleep. He felt tired, but sleep came difficult. His mind all over the place, the only thing he could think about was what would happen next. Before long morning came. Alex opened his eyes to see his room’s dull ceiling, a dejected wave shot through him. As if he expected to wake in his own bed at home.   ‘No bad dream, good. Last thing I need are nightmares,’ he thought as he stretched his limbs.   Windy and the guard were standing at the same spots they stood the day before. The mare gave him a nod as a greeting. She wasn’t wearing her armour any longer, so Alex had a much better view of her lush, hazel brown mane and alabaster coat. He also noticed that the pony had long fetlocks; the white locks contrasting against her grey hooves.   “I want to wash up” Alex said.   Windy nodded. “I will fetch the nurse.” Before she could leave, Alex spoke. “Point me to a sink, or something. I can walk, do it myself.”   He got out of his bed and stood up, noticing that the pony looked rather interested. She looked at him from head to toe, frowning slightly. It was Alex's deadpan expression that snapped her out of it. “Take a left.”   The man glanced to his left and saw a door, most definitely leading to the bathroom. Inside was a relatively small bathtub, and a door that probably led to a separate toilet. ‘This must be a private bathroom,’ Alex thought, looking around. Kind of pleased with how clean everything was. Though he was confused by the strange lavatory. Or the lack thereof. There was no sink or anything similar, which kind of made sense to him since ponies would have a rather hard time using them.   ‘Water,’ he thought. The only thing he needed was water. After taking a towel and washcloth from a hook on the inside of the door, he peered down at the small excuse of a tub and saw a familiar looking tap with red and blue markings.   With an annoyed groan he lowered himself and gave the red rimmed one a few twists, followed by only one on the blue rimmed one. He plugged the tub and whilst waiting for the water to rise he removed his bandages. The wounds weren’t nearly as bad as he had expected, he felt safe to assume they wouldn't even leave any long-lasting marks on him. He figured that whatever was used on him was meant to subdue, not wound, let alone kill. Shaking his head in frustration, he started washing himself thoroughly. The wash-up did him good, and by the time he was done, he felt refreshed. Entering the hospital room, he saw his clothes laying on his bed, neatly folded. “Your clothes, they’re cleaned up for you,” Windy pointed out. Alex nodded. He walked up to them and held them out to take a look. The pony was right; his clothes were as good as new. He put them back on slowly, especially when he buttoned his shirt. With the bandages removed, the wounds weren't exactly painful, but rubbing all over them in order to get them cleaned up certainly didn’t do much in that regard. The mare looked interested the entire time, definitely curious and taking advantage of the opportunity to see him properly.   Alex stroked the creases out of his shirt. “Could I have something to eat?”   “Of course,” Windy answered and left the room, thus leaving Alex alone with the other pony. The guard didn’t move a muscle, staring blankly at nothingness. Alex couldn’t even see if he was breathing or not. He sighed and sat down on the bed, waiting for Windy to return.   A few moments later, Windy brought in a nurse holding a platter with what looked like toast and a glass of orange juice. Alex nodded as he took the platter. With Windy looking on curiously, he quickly consumed his breakfast and put the empty platter on his nightstand. "You never told me you name," Windy Leaves stated, looking at Alex intently. "It's Alex Mathius," Alex answered, eliciting a nod from the mare. "Good to meet you, Alex," she answered. "You and I will be working together for a while. As I said yesterday, I will answer all and any questions you've got. I'm looking forward to hearing a lot about you, your culture and , well, all of it." She smiled. Alex nodded.   Windy turned and made a head gesture towards the guard, who then left the room without speaking a word. “My guard is going to get word to the princesses that we’re on our way. We will use a chariot.” She then turned and opened the door. Alex followed the white mare into the hallway to see that a rather large group of ponies had gathered at the entrance. She made a gesture to the guards standing at the ready, and all of them walked out. “Everypony, stand back!” one of them yelled. “Don’t interfere with the Royal Guard's business!”   The moment he stepped outside, the murmuring died down completely and the ponies watched with expressions he couldn’t exactly place. It didn’t take but a minute before a formation group of three chariots came flying into view from the distance, each of them pulled by two pegasi. Alex took a good look at what the ponies were pulling behind them. Granted, the white pony had mentioned chariots, but he didn’t expect the things to be exactly that. And even less for them to be flying. The one flying in between the two others looked different. It looked larger, with four wheels instead of two. It actually looked like it would be able to carry him. As the golden things descended for landing, the crowd retreated a bit too eagerly, leaving a spacious area to land on.   "Flying chariots..” he muttered. The surprise lost its effect rather quickly as he pointed himself on the fact of where he was. Realising that this sight was one of the least insane things he'd lived through the past two days, the sight merely caused him to raise his eyebrows.   “Great, hmm? Fastest way to Canterlot,” answered Windy, “It takes getting used to, however. The big one’s ours,” she said, pointing a hoof at the thing in question. She then started making her way towards it, closely followed by Alex.   “What’s this?” asked a guard. He was speaking to one of the attached pegasi. “Where are the rascals?”   The armoured pegasus shrugged. “We were given these things. What you see is what you get. Now hop on, I don’t want to cool down too much.” Just as Alex expected, the guards placed themselves onto the other chariots. The vehicle jolted as the ponies started pulling the thing. Running, while flapping their wings, the chariot built up some consideral speed, leaving the silent crowd behind before eventually lifting off. Alex felt a tingle in his stomach as they ascended in the cold morning air.   ***   By one of the pegasi’s request, Alex had sat down on the bottom of the vehicle. The larger chariot’s bottom and sides were clad in a soft, silk-like purple fabric, making sitting down pretty comfortable.   “So,” he spoke, making the mare's ears perk up. “What am I getting myself into?”   “Relax, Alex,” Windy spoke loudly so that Alex could clearly hear what she was saying over the blowing wind. “The princesses are usually very kind, so I think they just want to learn about your story regarding what happened, and perhaps more than that.”   “Like what?”   Windy gave him a dumbfounded look, “You're a completely new sapient species, Alex! Of course they will want to know all about you and where you're from!” She beamed. “There must be a thing or two to learn about you, your kind, your history and so on!” Seeing her interest, Alex felt interested, and had a slight idea as to the mare’s job. He wondered if he wasn't in over his head, as he was but a cop with an illegal side job. Seeing the human pondering, the pony nodded in understanding. “It's all right, Alex. We’ll see where we get.” Alex nodded. Without Alex realising, a few hourd had passed. Windy sat across of him on her haunches, frantically scribbling in a large notebook. Every once in a while, her eyes wandered towards him as if in thought. Eventually she spoke up once more. “Once we clear that mountain over there, you'll be able to see Canterlot.” She pointed at a small mountain in the distance, which, as they were clearing it, made way for a beautiful sight.   There seemed to be an entire city built onto the mountainside. The gravity-defying towers’ white walls and bright domes shone vividly in the morning sunlight. Said domes seemed to be made out of gold with white, blue, and smaller purple flags, all with sigils, flapping in the wind.   The vehicles started descending towards a platform jutting out from one of the towers, where several guards were visible milling about. They made room as the chariot touched down and soon it was surrounded by a mob of guards.   “Step back,” ordered an older blue unicorn guard with a deep and gravelly voice, making the confused-looking group dissipate. What made this one stand out from the others was his beautiful white armour. A bright golden image of the sun was emblazoned on the chest piece.   “You’re much later than expected,” he said to both Windy and Alex. “However, everything is in order and the...” the unicorn apparently couldn't find the right words for a moment as he looked Alex up and down “...guest can see the princesses at once.”   Relieved, Alex stepped out of the carriage, followed by Windy.   “I’m Warden. Paragon of the Wall of Light and Royal Protector to the princesses themselves,” he introduced himself. His tired tone of voice sounded like he'd said it a thousand times before. His gaze, however, never left Alex and his posture seemed rather tense.   “I’m Alex Matthius.”   The unicorn merely nodded. “Alright, so if you two would follow me, I’ll lead you right to them.” They left the platform and inside the tower the unicorn spoke up again. “So,” he said, “you’ll be the first one besides Shining Armour himself to tell us what exactly happened.” Alex didn't respond as he wasn't sure who the pony was talking to. If Warden expected an answer, he didn’t wait long. “Things have been bad. I hope this’ll clear something up.” Windy responded before Alex could. “Well, I suggest that the captain should stick to summoning shields until he gets his urges in check.” The old guard didn’t answer her in any way. Alex glanced at the mare to see her clenching her lips together. Both knowing that her words weren’t received well. "Captain Shining Armor did what he was asked of him, according to the story he told me," Warden eventually answered. "   The three of them walked through some well-maintained corridors before ending up in a large main hall. This place felt vibrant and alive compared to the relatively spartan corridors they just traversed. Numerous ponies milled about, most of them unicorns. A handful seemed to noticed Alex and stopped, placing themselves on the side of the hall in order to look on from a safe distance. The place was all what Alex expected from a palace and more. Marble floors, marble pillars, red carpet leading up numerous staircases towards a giant pair of doors. It was beautiful. From afar, a grey unicorn drew the veteran guard's attention. Warden walked up to him and started talking about things Alex was too far away for to hear. After a few moments, he returned to Alex and Windy, who were still waiting, looking around in awe.   “The princesses are ready, we're going in,” he said. "You two are coming as well?" Alex asked. Warden nodded. "Yes. I belong to Princess Celestia's right side." Windy took off where he left. “And at the moment, it's my job to stick around to get you acquainted with how our society works.”   Alex nodded. “So you're the guide?” The pony frowned, apparently taken aback by the guess. "No… I mean yes, but only in this instance. When making first contact, it's paramount to know what kind of creature we're dealing with,” she explained. “Otherwise we'd have a war all over again.”   Alex couldn't believe his ears. “There are other sentient species other than yours?” he asked.   “Mmhm. The griffons, to name one, but that's a long story. You should ask me later on about that.”   “All right,” Alex nodded. “And yes, I'm ready.”   The veteran simply nodded at that, and they started the long ascend towards the giant metal double door. Alex looked at the giant golden things and even at a considerale distance could take in the numerous images of ponies, flowery plants and more. What stood out were the two larger depictions in the centre of each of the doors showing creatures with both horns and wings. Connecting the two doors were seven giant sliding locks, which seemed to glow ever so slightly. “This is the throne room door,” informed Warden. “Don’t touch them, there’s spells affecting them.”   Alex didn't even hear Warden's words. Instead, he looked back at the hundreds of stairs they'd just climbed. He knew that the stairs were not only there to signify the importance of whatever laid ahead, but also realised that they would be highly defensible should this place ever be attacked. Essentially creating a quarter-kilometer long uphill battle. Finally looking back at the behemoth doors, he noticed the two gruff-looking unicorn guards siding them. Both wearing the same impossibly white armour as Warden, and both looking twice as mean. The sentries took a lengthy look at the new arrivals until after a short command from Paragon Warden their horns started glowing.   Nothing seemed to happen for a few seconds until the doors started moving. The gargantuan things must have been massive in both size and weight, Alex figured, if the low metallic groaning and creaking were any indication.   Warden led the way and started moving forward, followed by Alex and an increasingly nervous mare. End of chapter three.